Happy 100th birthday Roly!

Roly, of Pastures Road in Barrowby, will have received his card from the Queen to go on the mantlepiece alongside his many other birthday cards from loved ones.

And with family and friends travelling to his party from all across the country, and some even further, many will get to celebrate the big day with him in person.

Born in Sproxton, near Grantham, Roly left school at 14 and went to work on a farm as a lorry driver. Then after a six-year stint in the Army, he moved to Scunthorpe in 1948 where he bought a jewellery shop and became a watchmaker. Here, he met his wife Christine, 69.

Loving his work, Roly remained a watchmaker for the next 80 years, a career which took the couple to the Isle of Man in 1969.

Roly said: “It was lovely living over there, they are lovely people.

“I was very well-known in the Isle of Man with my watch repairing.”

He became a chief sector marshall for the famous TT races, a job he thoroughly enjoyed, and the couple met a lot of new friends.

However, when travelling to see family in the Grantham area became too expensive, Roly and Christine took the decision to move back to the area. So in 1982 they moved to Barrowby.

Roly has three children, Carnival King Roy Wright, Mavis and Sheila, plus 12 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and 13 great-great-grandchildren with another two on the way.

Watchmaking has always been his greatest hobby, but he also enjoys spending time in the garden, growing tomatoes. He is also a talented painter.

Roly counts his marriage to Christine as the best thing he has ever done, and they will mark their golden wedding next year.

For many years, the pair shared a love of volunteer work for the British Red Cross, helping to manage the charity’s open gardens events.

Christine said: “We enjoyed it. We got to know a lot of people.”

Roly added: “A lot of them will come to my birthday.”

He will celebrate his centenary with a party in the refectory at Grantham College with family and friends, some of whom are travelling from as far afield as Norway to be part of his special day.